Abstract: A device for picking fruit is provided with an optical detection means and a robot arm, fitted with a gripper mechanism. The processing unit actuates the robot arm to make the gripper mechanism move about the piece of fruit to be picked from below. Once grasped, the piece of fruit to be picked is rotated in such a way about a substantially horizontal axis that the stalk of the piece of fruit comes away from the plant.

Abstract: An agricultural baler with a pre-compression chamber configured to introduce a slice towards a baling chamber. The baling chamber includes a plunger provided for reciprocally moving in the baling chamber, the reciprocal movement having a power movement. In use, during the power movement, slices of crop material are compressed into a bale and the bale is pushed through the baling chamber. The baling chamber further includes at least one movable wall for exercising a compression force to the crop material in a direction transverse to the propelling movement so that, in use, the at least one movable wall provides a counter pressure for the propelling through the baling chamber of the bale. The agricultural baler further includes a controller adapted to influence a compression force of the at least one movable wall at a predetermined moment of the power movement to reduce the counter pressure.

Abstract: There is described a mobile drive system comprising at least one mobile drive unit capable of automated or autonomous navigation, wherein the mobile drive unit comprises: a platform comprising U or V type shape, the platform comprising two legs and a bent or front interconnector interconnecting both legs at one end; a first wheelset comprising two wheels, each arranged at a corresponding distal end of the legs of the platform; and a second wheelset comprising two or only one wheel at the interconnector of the platform.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for automatically picking a fruit is described. During the clamping stage, the movement of the fingers is controlled such that a specific maximum clamping force is not exceeded. In addition, during at least a part of the removal stage, the mutual position of the fingers is controlled by the drive such that their mutual distance does not increase.

Abstract: A device and a method for attaching a label for identifying a bale to an elongate flexible object, wherein the device comprises storage means for the label and attachment means for attaching the label to the elongate flexible object, and wherein the label, on its edge, has an opening which is adapted to attach the label to the elongate flexible object.

Abstract: An agricultural baler system has a plunger, a bale chamber, a pre-compression chamber and a stuffer unit, for moving crop from the pre-compression chamber to the bale chamber. The stuffer unit includes a stuffer fork trigger mechanism, an actuator and a controller. The actuator is coupled to the stuffer fork trigger mechanism. The controller is in controlling connection with the actuator. The actuator is configured to arm the stuffer fork trigger mechanism by moving the actuator between a first position and a second position. The actuator is further configured to be held in the first position and/or the second position with substantially no energy use.

Abstract: A device for picking fruit is provided with an optical detection means and a robot arm, fitted with a gripper mechanism. The processing unit actuates the robot arm to make the gripper mechanism move about the piece of fruit to be picked from below. Once grasped, the piece of fruit to be picked is rotated in such a way about a substantially horizontal axis that the stalk of the piece of fruit comes away from the plant.

Abstract: An agricultural baler with a pre-compression chamber configured to introduce a slice towards a baling chamber. The baling chamber includes a plunger provided for reciprocally moving in the baling chamber, the reciprocal movement having a power movement. In use, during the power movement, slices of crop material are compressed into a bale and the bale is pushed through the baling chamber. The baling chamber further includes at least one movable wall for exercising a compression force to the crop material in a direction transverse to the propelling movement so that, in use, the at least one movable wall provides a counter pressure for the propelling through the baling chamber of the bale. The agricultural baler further includes a controller adapted to influence a compression force of the at least one movable wall at a predetermined moment of the power movement to reduce the counter pressure.

Abstract: Bale measuring method for a rectangular baler includes the steps of: measuring a movement of a binding material that is being tied around a bale; using the measured movement of the binding material to calibrate a measurement and calculation tool for measuring a movement of the bale in the baler and for calculating a length of the bale based on said measurement; determining the length of the bale using the calibrated measurement and calculation tool as the bale moves backward in the baler.

Abstract: A bale measuring method for a rectangular baler having a bale chamber in which bales are formed. The bale measuring method includes steps of measuring a movement of crop material downstream of the bale chamber as the crop material moves backward in the baler, using the measured movement of the crop material downstream of the bale chamber to calibrate a measurement and calculation tool for measuring a movement of crop material in the bale chamber and for calculating a length of a bale being formed in the bale chamber based on the measurement, and determining the length of the bale being formed in the bale chamber using the calibrated measurement and calculation tool as the bale moves backward in the baler.

Abstract: A signal processing method of a baler system includes the steps of receiving a signal, determining a steady state level and relating the steady state level to a characteristic of a forming bale. A signal is received from at least one sensor associated with a bale chamber of the baler system and a steady state level is determined from the signal. The steady state level of the signal is related to a characteristic of the forming bale in the bale chamber.

Abstract: A device and a method for attaching a label for identifying a bale to an elongate flexible object, wherein the device comprises storage means for the label and attachment means for attaching the label to the elongate flexible object, and wherein the label, on its edge, has an opening which is adapted to attach the label to the elongate flexible object.

Abstract: A method and system for operating an agricultural baler, that includes measuring at least one physical input parameter associated with a compression profile of crop material in a bale chamber of the baler; analyzing the compression profile of the crop material, dependent upon the measured at least one physical input parameter; and adjusting at least one physical output parameter of the baler which affects the compression profile of the crop material in the bale chamber.

Abstract: An agricultural baler includes a main bale chamber, a plunger reciprocally movable within the main bale chamber through a compression cycle, a flywheel associated with the movement of the plunger, and a driveline associated with the flywheel and couplable with a power take-off of a traction unit. The baler has an auxiliary power system coupled with the driveline. The auxiliary power system includes a power indicator providing an output signal representing a parameter associated with power usage during the compression cycle of the plunger, a power device for at least one of receiving power from and transferring power to the driveline, and an electrical processing circuit coupled with the power indicator and the power device. The electrical processing circuit is operable for receiving the output signal(s) and controlling operation of the power device, dependent upon the output signal(s).

Abstract: A square baler having a baling chamber, a plunger reciprocable at one end of the baling chamber, a pre-compression chamber where charges of crop are amassed and pre-compressed by a rotor prior to transfer into the baling chamber. A transducer is provided for producing an electrical output signal indicative of the load on the rotor and a processing circuit is operative to estimate the rate of crop flow into the pre-compression chamber by analyzing the output signal of the transducer over a complete filling and emptying cycle of the pre-compression chamber.

Abstract: An agricultural baler having a baling chamber and a pre-compression chamber, wherein the pre-compression chamber is adapted to periodically form a slice of crop material and push the slice towards the baling chamber into a first segment of the baling chamber, the baling chamber has a plunger provided for reciprocally moving in the baling chamber thereby compressing slices of crop material into a bale, wherein at least one optical bale length sensor is provided in the baling chamber for measuring the length of the bale.

Abstract: An agricultural baler has a baling chamber with a plunger that is provided to reciprocally move in the baling chamber, the baling chamber walls separating the baling chamber from the environment, wherein the baling chamber walls include fluid channels formed at the environment side of the wall and directly adjacent to the baling chamber in such a manner that, during operation of the agricultural baler, heat is transferred from the baling chamber wall to fluid in the fluid channels, and the fluid is moved along said fluid channels during operation of the agricultural baler.

Abstract: An agricultural baler system includes a bale chamber, a compressing device and at least one sensor. The compressing device is coupled to the bale chamber and periodically compresses gathered crop material in the bale chamber. The sensor is coupled to the bale chamber and it produces a signal. The signal contains information that includes the load on at least one of the compressing device and the density of the forming bale.

Abstract: A square baler has a baling chamber, a plunger reciprocable at one end of the baling chamber, a pre-compression chamber within which charges of crop are amassed and pre-compressed by a rotor prior to transfer into the baling chamber, and a pickup roller having radially projecting tines for picking up crop from the ground and advancing the crop to the rotor. A torque sensor is connected to at least one tine of the pickup roller to produce an electrical output signal indicative of the torque experienced by the pickup roller, and a processing circuit is operative to estimate the rate of crop flow into the chute by analyzing the electrical output of the torque sensor only at times when the position of the tine lies within a predetermined angular position of the pickup roller.

Abstract: A method and adapted electronic systems for determining a value representative for or an estimate of the load on a plunger of a baler for harvested agricultural material includes obtaining the speed of movement of a drive element for the plunger, followed by determining the estimate of or value representative for the load on the plunger based upon the obtained speed of movement of the drive element.